The 8 Best Hidden Gems Things to do in Province of Heredia, Costa Rica

The Toucan Rescue Ranch’s (TRR) mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release Costa Rica wildlife. TRR works with a model that focuses on conservation, education, and research to ensure a brighter tomorrow for Costa Rica wildlife. VISITS REQUIRE A RESERVATION. TRR emphases on the care, rehabilitation, and release of national wildlife. We receive and care for confiscated, sick, and injured animals from government agencies. The Toucan Rescue Ranch works closely with the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica (MINAE) who brings injured and displaced wildlife to the center. TRR provides sanctuary while giving treatment, rehabilitation, and when possible, release to their natural environment. The Toucan Rescue Ranch is a licenses Costa Rica wildlife rescue facility, Costa Rica foundation (300667701803) and a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (EIN: 80-0516453).

This BBC Wildlife Magazine and National Geographic published destination offers a 2 hour guided tour by the owners. $40 per person.

On a private tour and tasting at Sibú Chocolate, guests embark on a fascinating journey through the history of cacao, from its origins as a sacred food of the gods in Costa Rica to its use as a regional currency up to the 19th Century. You will discover how Europe transformed chocolate into the bars and bonbons we all enjoy today and witness the rebirth of chocolate as an artisan treat, packed with antioxidants.Sibú Chocolate’s signature dark chocolate is made solely with premium, locally sourced organic cacao beans and organic sugar. DuringThe Single-Origin Organic Chocolate Experience at Sibúthe visit, you will savor gourmet truffles, caramel and pure dark chocolate tasting squares accompanied by spirited discussion about cacao genetics, terroir and the future of fine flavor chocolate. Visitors will also learn about how cacao is grown, the indigenous cosmology surrounding it, and the social and environmental importance of the cacao crop to Costa Rica and the region.Join local artisans tempering chocolate on a marble slab and decorating bonbons by hand at a small workshop set just on the edge of the cloud forests of Braulio Carrillo National Park. Overlooking the mountains of Costa Rica’s Central Valley, the workshop is a cool and tranquil place from which all SIBÚ confections and bars are made with care. The Owners and Master Chocolatiers, Julio Fernandez and George Soriano, welcome their guests and share how to taste the nuances in chocolate by using all the senses.Stay and enjoy a delicious lunch prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients and inspired by local cuisine including such delicacies as Hibiscus flower iced tea with a touch of fresh ginger and corn bread cake a la mode with luscious SIBÚ chocolate sauce.

COSTA RICA BEST CHOCOLATE, (2 hours) takes you on a journey through time to discover the story behind the drink of the gods, how was it prepared by ancestor, how is it been modified through time, how is it prepared today, take your palate by the characteristic taste of chocolate and cocoa, then through the cacao plantation and learn from this plant that has impact a portion of the global economy through the history. DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITY. The chocolate tour is an educational and enjoyable activity, for all ages, this two hours will start in the 2 acres of cacao plantation, learn all about the cacao plant, flowers and pollination, and then to the Cacao Rancho in the middle of the RESERVA CURARE (Private protected forest), the Rancho has room for 50 sitting people, it is only 150 meters from the route 4 at Chilamate, starting to learn the history of cacao you will have the chance to see, taste, drink and feel all the stages of the chocolate process, expert naturalist guides and

Welcome to the Tirimbina Rainforest Center, where education, research and beauty combine to offer you an unforgettable experience with nature. Tirimbina is an educational, scientific and ecotourism destination, located between the forests and rivers of the northern region of Costa Rica. Tirimbina offers education programs for primary schools, high schools and university students, as well as facilities for study groups, volunteers and researchers, highlighting the biodiversity and conservation of the rainforest. Tirimbina’s abundant forest provides great ecotourism activities. Come and explore the trails, discover its flora and fauna, walk on the suspension bridges or discover the secrets of cacao during the popular Chocolate Tour. Visit us and learn about the rainforest.

Best place to spot Frogs, birds, sloths and learn about organic farming and local people! My family are always able to make you feel better than Home... Ask for Homestay and cooking lessons

Organic farm tour where our experts guide you on an excellent rural adventure across the pineapple plantations on a specially designed tractor where you see and learn about the difference between conventional and organic agriculture. At the end of the tour, while surrounded by our paradise and listening traditional music, we invite you to drink a delicious organic pineapple juice, enjoy fresh slices of our organic pineapple and some other home made products.